The Law, Health Policy and Disability Center is working with The Great Plains ADA and Information Technology Center on three projects this contract year:

1. Accessibility Summit

   • The purpose of the Accessibility Summitt is to assist Iowa in developing a building code that is understandable, enforceable and ensures that buildings in Iowa are safe and accessible.

2. Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act

   • WIA is the federal government's attempt to consolidate a number of employment programs into a "One-Stop" system that allows job seekers to receive the services that they need to obtain employment. The Center and ADA/IT Center are working with Iowa's Workforce Development centers to ensure that all the centers or one-stops are accessible and able to meet the needs of the job seekers with disabilities.

3. Employment Conference

   • As part of a marketing effort to Iowa employers and professionals in the disability field the Center and ADA/IT Center are partnering with other organizations to host an employment conference in January 2001. The other partners include Manpower, the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce, the Community Rehabilitation Program for Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program, and Polk County Health Services. The conference is entitled "The Future Is Not What It Used To Be" and will be held January 19, 2001 in Des Moines.

4. Support to Iowa schools on assistive technology

   • The Center partners with Iowa Program for Assistive Technology to assist Iowa school personnel - from the AEAs to educators - in supporting the technology needs of students with disabilities in Iowa schools. We expect that as students gain more exposure to technology in the classroom, their prospects for employment will improve. The first step of that effort is to research Iowa schools websites and, based on that research, to provide training to school technical support personnel, particularly in the area education agencies and the school districts.

Year One Highlights (October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2000)

During this project year the Center participated in capacity building activities with the following entities:

1. Iowa Department of Economic Development
2. Polk County Health Services
3. National MS Society
4. Manpower, Inc.
5. Iowa Workforce Development
6. Iowa Association of Business and Industry
7. Systems Change Network

At a Glance

Center contact person for the DBTAC is Pat Steele

Publications

Choosing an Employment Provider
by Pat Steele
Appeared in the March 2004 Iowa APSE Newsletter
PDF version
Online version at the IA APSE site